Planting Advanced Seedling Genetics – Is it Worth It?
Choosing the right seedling to meet your goals can be confusing and frustrating without clear, objective information. Is paying more for advanced genetics worth the investment?
Once only available to large companies, today’s genetic options, including MCP®, ArborGen’s state-of-the-art hybrids, offer landowners the opportunity to be profitable in up and down timber markets. It’s not a decision to be made lightly – the choices you make now have a 20-25 year consequence.
Will what you plant today pay off in the future?
As pine breeding and technology have advanced, the opportunity to invest in seedlings with more height, volume gain, and greater disease resistance provide the flexibility to sell your timber to whatever market is “hot.” An additional investment in planting advanced genetics and good site preparation increases the landowner’s revenue AND peace of mind. If you could invest $50 today and get $500 in return, would you consider that a good investment?
At ArborGen, we have a selection of both bareroot and containerized seedlings with increasing levels of genetic improvement. We can help landowners and consultants answer the questions about the value of advanced genetics investment. Our proprietary Seedling Revenue Calculator (see video below) can provide the potential revenue associated with each level of genetics. Contact our Reforestation Advisors to help you determine the best seedling for your land based on your particular goals. Let them show you data and the return on the investment you make.
What can you expect in the first few years of growth of MCP®?
Hear Perry Clements, Forestry Consultant for Rozier & Associates, share his experience with MCP and what you can expect over the first few years of growth.
Seedling Revenue Calculator
One question we are frequently asked when customers are considering seedlings for reforestation is, “How much is this going to cost?”
Of course, any seedling choice needs appropriate site prep for successful growth. Without that, no seedling has the opportunity to reach its full genetic potential.
When looking at seedling options, try not to focus on just cost. Think of it as an investment.
To help you understand the increased return for each dollar of additional investment in improved genetics, ArborGen has developed a tool based on industry models and cashflow analysis to help you see the value of the investment in your selection.
Our seedling calculator (see video above) demonstrates scenarios in which each increase in your seedling investment yields an increase in revenue.
During a recent visit to a customer, we discussed the advantages of each level of seedling genetic improvement and used the calculator to quickly demonstrate the cost difference and revenue increase in the scenarios he gave me. Each of these scenarios revealed he was able to capture increased revenue moving to higher genetics (estimated at the time of thinning and final harvest).
To learn more about our Seedling Calculator Tool, schedule a private demo using the tool at the link below.
Get in touch with a Reforestation Advisor to explore your options!
Austin Heine
North Carolina and Virginia
910-660-3209
Greg Hay
Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and Oklahoma
501-350-4217
Shannon Stewart
Eastern Texas, Southern Louisiana
936-239-6189
Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D.
Alabama & Mississippi
Manager Special Projects & Sustainability
205-712-9582
Drew Fasano
Reforestation Advisor
South Carolina
843-520-6865
Blake Sherry
Reforestation Advisor
Georgia and Florida
912-433-5407
Kylie Burdette
U.S. Sales Manager
864-650-4454
Jason Watson
Director, U.S. Sales
404-840-7489
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